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New Iberia council weighs tougher rules and a community tire-collection day to curb illegal dumping
Summary
Council members discussed a two-track response to growing piles of dumped tires: a new ordinance targeting illegal dumpers and operational rules for tire shops, plus a proposed city-sponsored tire-collection day for residents.
Council members in New Iberia discussed steps to address a growing problem of illegally dumped tires across the city, including drafting a targeted ordinance to penalize dumpers, tightening requirements for tire shops and organizing a city tire-collection day for residents.
Councilman Ron Davis opened the discussion, saying crews are repeatedly finding large piles of tires on vacant lots and public rights-of-way. “Sometimes 40, 50 tires,” Davis said during the council meeting. He said the current curbside pickup contract covers a small number of tires per household and does not address tires dumped on empty lots.
The council and staff identified two parallel approaches: (1) a narrow, enforceable ordinance focused on tire dumping with clear per-tire fines and penalties that law enforcement and city court can apply; and (2) a set of operational requirements for tire retailers that would require shops to store tires indoors or in secure containers and document their disposal chain.
Several council members and staff noted enforcement challenges. A police chief said fines can escalate to felony-level thresholds in some circumstances, and councilors said cameras and license-plate readers could help identify offenders. Council members said investigative steps could include requesting disposal manifests or other records from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to reconcile how many tires a given business receives and how many are removed by licensed haulers.
Several council members supported a proactive cleanup as part of the response. Councilman Troy Como and others urged a resident-only drop-off day at a city location, modeled on past household hazardous-waste events, where residents would show proof of city residency and offload a limited number of tires for proper disposal. Public works staff said the city has an existing relationship with a commercial tire recycler (a third-party contractor that currently picks up tires at public works) and could arrange trailer drop-off and scheduled pickup.
Council members discussed program details that would limit abuse: restricting the drop-off to city residents, requiring ID at drop-off, limiting per-person quantities (first-come, first-served), and retaining records of who drops off loads so commercial operators cannot misrepresent loads as residential. Several members said the city should also send a written notice to local tire dealers warning that the council is monitoring disposal practices and will enforce new rules.
Mayor and council members asked staff to research ordinances used by other municipalities, to consult LDEQ about manifest and disposal reporting requirements, and to return with a draft ordinance and an operational plan for a one-time collection day. No final ordinance was adopted at the meeting; the council authorized staff to draft proposed language and bring it back for review.
Ending: Council members said they expect the initiative to be phased — ordinance drafting first, outreach to tire businesses and residents next, and a pilot collection event to follow — and asked staff to return with proposed ordinance language, estimated costs, and recommended enforcement steps.
